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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Even More Such Language!

I had so much fun finding these that I'm doing more!

Caper Merchant: A dancing teacher (also hop merchant). (“Did you hear that Araminta Smithers ran away with her dancing teacher? Papa says that’s what happens when you let a caper merchant into the house.”)

Detrimental: A non-socially eligible young man--someone who would give your parents a stroke if he asked for your hand in marriage. (“Were you at the McGillicuddy’s ball last night? My dear, it was simply crawling with detrimentals…I barely found anyone at all worthwhile to dance with!”)

Kickshaws: French food, usually of a dainty or fussy nature…from the French “quelque chose” (“Oh, Lady Hart’s dinner last night was divine! She told us she had just hired a French cook and I was so embarrassed when Papa loudly grumbled something about kickshaws kicking up his indigestion that I simply wanted to melt into the table.”)

Squash: A party one attends because one must, not because one wants to. (“Dearest Petunia, I’d love to come to your party but I must attend my Aunt Agatha’s squash…can you believe she’s hired someone to sing the songs in ancient Greek that Uncle Mortimer composed on the death of his pet parrot?”)

On Saint Geoffrey’s Day: A facetious way of saying “never”, as there was no St. Geoffrey and therefore no day observed in his honor. (“I’ll give a waltz to that ghastly Sir Hugh on Saint Geoffrey’s Day and not a minute before!”)

Mrs. Princum Prancum: A fussy, fastidious woman. (“Lady Obadiah is such a Mrs. Princum Prancum--why, she insisted upon precisely one and three-eighths teaspoons of sugar in her tea this afternoon when she called on Mama!”)